From Hell to Heaven
by Sigrun23
Summary: Tobias Snape has turned his son's holidays into a living hell. Will Severus survive till the next school year? Will Lily and her family be able to save him in time?
1. A Long-awaited Meeting

**Chapter 1**

 **A Long-awaited Meeting**

It was a warm, sunny July day. Actually, warm couldn't even describe it properly; _hot_ would be the better word. Lily was wearing only a sleeveless top and a shorts and she was already uncomfortably hot and sweating. The redhead was walking quickly through thicket of trees to a secret spot by a river. In normal circumstances her only dream would be to savour a glass of soda with ice in her cool room or to dive into the refreshing water of the river.

But Lily wasn't thinking about either of those things. She had a meeting, which made her so happy and excited that today's heat almost didn't bother her. She was finally going to see her boyfriend after four long days.

Lily couldn't remember the last time she and Severus had been parted for so long. They met every day at school and spent a lot of days together during holidays. Sometimes, they spent every single minute in each other's company. But this holidays, after their fifth year, were different. Severus was so busy at home that he couldn't meet her for more than a few hours and sometimes even had to cancel their encounters. But never for four days straight! So when, today morning Lily had received a message that Severus could spend an afternoon with her, she had been overwhelmed with happiness and almost bouncing from joy all day.

Lily and Severus communicated through connected notebooks which they had invented the previous year. Whatever was written in one notebook, instantly appeared in the second, which then started to glow to indicate a new message. Severus did have a telephone but his father didn't allow him to use it and although Lily owned an owl, Severus' father didn't like anything magical, thus, sending letters with an owl wasn't a good idea. So, notebooks was the best, easy and quick way to exchange messages.

Lily reached the edge of a small forest and halted in a clearing by the river. Severus was already there, sitting in a shadow of the trees and looking at spots of light dancing on the surface of the water.

Lily walked quietly to the raven haired boy and covered his eyes with her hands, wanting to surprise him. But it was Severus' reaction that surprised her.

Instead of smiling and kissing her hand, like he had used to do, Severus gasped and sprang to his feet, almost knocking Lily down in the process. As he turned around to face whoever had startled him, Lily saw fear and panic in the boy's black eyes, which almost instantly disappeared as he set eyes on his girlfriend.

"Lily!" exclaimed Severus and this time, Lily saw relief displayed on his face.

"I'm sorry, Sev, I didn't mean to startle you," the red-haired girl apologised, feeling a bit guilty but also intrigued by Severus' sudden reaction.

"That's all right. I overreacted," said Severus and indicated to Lily to sit down.

Lily sat at the bank of the river and stretched her legs. Severus sat cross-legged beside her but what astonished Lily was the fact that, instead of sitting right next to her and hugging her like he usually did, Severus kept a distance of a good three feet between them. _And he didn't kiss me,_ thought Lily suspiciously. _After four days of not seeing, he should be smothering me with kisses._ It was almost as if Severus was afraid of her.

"So, what were you doing these last few days?" asked Severus, looking at her with a little smile on his thin lips.

"I was at the swimming pool with Tuney and yesterday we went with our parents to a cinema to watch 'The Omen'."

"Is it really as scary as everyone says?"

"Oh yes, it is. It's one of the best horrors I've ever watched and I have watched a lot of them. I wish you had been there with me. Maybe I wouldn't have been so terrified," laughed Lily.

"You know I don't like horrors. I would be more terrified than you. I would probably have my eyes closed through half of the film," replied Severus with a wry smile.

"We can go together to another film. Maybe comedy. Or drama, if you'd prefer that," offered Lily.

Severus lowered his gaze and took a great interest in his tattered shoes.

"I can't," he said softly.

"Why?" inquired Lily, though she suspected an answer.

"I don't have any pocket-money left," said Severus, still not looking at her. "I spent everything on a Potions book I bought in June. And my father won't give me any more money now."

"I can buy tickets," suggested Lily with little hope.

As she had expected, Severus denied her offer. "I won't take your money. I've already said it many times before," Severus' voice sounded a bit angry.

"I know. I'm sorry," replied Lily. Money, or rather lack of it, was always a touchy subject during her conversations with Severus. She didn't want to argue now.

"Beside my father probably won't let me go," added her boyfriend.

"Why? Do you really have so much work at home that you can't go out for a few hours?" asked Lily, referring to their many cancelled meetings.

"Yes. I have to help my father."

"With what?" Severus never wrote what exactly he was doing at home. This time, Lily was determined to learn the truth.

"I- um- lately we've been working in a garden."

"In a garden?" asked Lily suspiciously. "Severus, I'm sorry but I can't imagine your father planting flowers."

"Actually, I was taking care of plants and mowing the grass and he was repairing a shed."

"And it took you four whole days?" she asked skeptically.

"No, we were also repairing a roof and I have to clean and cook while my father is at work," answered Severus, a bit irritated by her questioning. "Look, Lily, I am really sorry that I haven't been able to meet with you lately. I wanted but I couldn't and it wasn't my fault. I missed you," he added quietly.

"I missed you too," replied Lily and touched gently his arm.

The boy flinched violently but quickly stilled himself and let his girlfriend slowly massage his arm. Lily furrowed her brows, worried by his reaction.

"Sev, is everything alright?"

"Yes, why are you asking?" he tried to sound indifferent but at the same moment, he started to pluck grass which he always did when he was angry or nervous.

"You're acting strangely."

"Strangely? Why do you think so?" now he was breaking a twig and avoiding her gaze.

"You were badly startled or rather, _scared_ when I came. You didn't kiss or hug me which you always do when we meet. You're keeping a distance between us and flinched when I touched you."

This time Severus didn't reply. Lily waited a while for his comment but none came.

"And I think you aren't telling me the whole truth about your situation at home," she continued. "He was beating you again, wasn't he?"

"What? No!" denied Severus hastily.

"Severus, don't take me for a fool. Why are you wearing long slacks and shirt when there is thirty degrees outside?" Lily asked rhetorically. When they were children, Lily quickly discovered that Severus often hid bruises and scraps beneath his clothes.

"Alright, he hit me yesterday," the boy admitted. "Nothing special, really."

"Nothing special!" exclaimed Lily. "No father should hit his child! Never!"

"Lily, calm down. I'm used to it. I've had worse. Besides, what can I do?"

"You should report this to a police officer or a social worker," proposed Lily.

"And what would they do? They'd say that it's normal, that a father has a right to discipline his child. They probably do it themselves."

"No one has a right to beat another person!" Lily said vehemently. "My parents never hit me or Petunia. Not even once."

"You're a lucky exception," replied Severus, with a bit of jealousy and sadness in his voice. "But the environment I come from has a different view on this matter. Almost every child gets a spanking from time to time."

"Maybe. However, what your father does is more than a spanking. I remember that sometimes you were hurt really badly. He broke your arm once. Luckily, your mother was able to heal you then. But now-"

"Lily, please." Severus interrupted her tiredly. "I don't want to talk about it. Could we just leave this topic in peace?"

Lily agreed seeing that Severus was greatly upset. But she wasn't giving up on the issue of Severus' abuse. She was resolved to learn more from her boyfriend in the future and ask her parents for advice. She wanted to help Severus but at the same time she understood that he was uncomfortable discussing his home life and too proud to ask for help.

The girl lay down on the soft grass and closed her eyes. She could feel Severus watching her but he remained silent. After a while he lay down next to her and started to play with her hair. She loved it, the action was relaxing but also arousing. This time, she didn't let her mind dwell on fantasies. She had more important things to think about.

When they met, as nine-year-old children, Severus was very shy and a skittish boy. He often flinched when unexpectedly touched and was easily startled by raised voices or sudden movements. Lily quickly discovered the cause of these reactions as it was impossible for Severus to hide bruises every time. But when they went to Hogwarts and Severus grew up, he understood that not every adult person was going to hurt him. He was comfortable when Lily was touching him, as he completely trusted her, and only rarely flinched when touched by another person.

But something had changed in the last few weeks. Lily began to wonder when Severus' odd behaviour had started. She remembered that at school Severus had been behaving normally. The first signs had appeared in the first week of the holidays. _So it must have something to do with Severus' father,_ concluded Lily.

"I wonder when we get our O.W.L. results," said Severus, still stroking her hair.

"I heard McGonagall saying that we should expect them at the end of July."

"So only one week more of waiting. By the way, I asked Slughorn if my results could be sent to your home as my father doesn't like owls. He agreed. Is it alright with you?" asked the boy.

"Yeah, no problem. I'm so nervous about my Transfiguration mark. My exam didn't go well," admitted Lily.

"Nor did mine. I was still thinking about the incident by the lake the day before and couldn't focus. Well, at least we can be sure about our Potion marks. We can't get anything but Outstandings."

"You're right," said Lily with a smile. "I'm going to dip my feet in the river. It's horribly hot today. Are you coming?"

"Yeah, why not?"

They went to the river, took off their shoes and sat down on the bank, submerging their feet in the cool water. Lily splashed Severus with water and laughed at his indignant face. But the boy quickly repaid her with the same and soon they abandoned all restraints and went fully into the river, splashing each other with water and shouting joyfully. Later, they lay down in the sun to dry and spent a long time discussing anything and everything. Severus seemed to forget about his awful situation at home which made Lily especially happy.

Lily looked at her watch.

"Merlin's beard, it's six o'clock!" she exclaimed. "The time passed so fast! I have to go, Mum must be waiting with a supper."

"Six- six o'clock?" asked Severus. Lily looked at him and saw a sheer panic in his eyes. "I was supposed to be at home at five. My father will be angry."

"It's just an hour," Lily tried to reassure him.

"You don't understand, Lily. I have to go. Now," Severus was hastily putting on his socks and shoes.

"Then let me understand, Severus. Talk to me."

"I can't. Not now. Lily, I'm really sorry but I won't walk you home. I'll write to you later," he gave her a short kiss on the cheek. "Bye!"

Severus ran into the woods, leaving Lily confused and sad. She put on her shoes and went home, all the time thinking about her boyfriend. She had seen too much to give up on the problem of Severus' abuse. She was going to talk with her parents tonight and was hoping they would be able to help him.

xxx

Severus, still panting from his run, pulled out a key from his pocket. His hands were shaking so much that he had problems with putting the key into a keyhole. He let himself into the house, hoping against hope that his father wasn't at home. Maybe he went with his friends to a pub after work. As quietly as he could, he took off his shoes and headed for the stairs. He placed a foot on the first step when he heard his father's cold voice.

"Where have you been, boy?" he never called his son by his given name.

Severus slowly turned and saw his father leaning against the kitchen's door's frame, a bottle of beer in his hand.

"Where have you been?" Tobias Snape repeated.

"I've been with Lily in the woods by the river," answered Severus quietly. "You said yesterday that I could go, sir."

"Yes, I did. But I also said that you were supposed to be at home at five. What time is it now?" Severus' father asked ominously.

"Six ten," whispered Severus, his throat tight from fear.

"I can't hear you, you miserable brat!" shouted Tobias suddenly, making Severus jump.

"Six ten, sir," Severus said louder.

"Yes. You're late more than an hour. I had to cook myself," complained Tobias and took a great gulp from the bottle. Despite his terror, Severus thought that it wouldn't hurt his father if he prepared a meal from time to time. "To the kitchen, boy. Now."

The frightened boy didn't move.

"To. The. Kitchen."

With great effort Severus moved his trembling legs and followed his father to the kitchen. Tobias put his bottle on the counter and looked at his son, a sadistic grin on his drunken face.

"Take off your trousers and pants and lean on the table," he ordered.

Severus breaths and heart rate quickened and he was almost sick from fright. But he didn't dare to disobey his father. He had quickly learned what would happen if he did. He lowered his slacks and briefs and leaned on the wooden table. Then he heard his father pulling out his belt and couldn't help a whimper from escaping his lips.

"Please- sir- please, I'm sorry- I won't do it again-" Severus was begging. Severus hated himself for pleading with his father but he was unable to stop himself. His pride was long gone, anyhow.

"That's right, you won't. And I'll make sure of it," said Tobias and brought down the belt on his son's scarred buttocks.

At first, Severus felt relief. Today he was going to get only a beating. He had feared for something much worse. Then he felt pain from a belt's buckle hitting his sensitive behind and bit hard his lower lip to prevent himself from crying out. Tobias was hitting his son harder with each strike but Severus still refused to scream even though his lip was bleeding profusely and tears were streaming down his face. But when one blow tore his skin and drew blood, Severus couldn't hold it anymore and screamed. This seemed to satisfy his father. After several more strikes, he stopped the beating and, grasping Severus by his greasy hair, said in his face:

"Go to your room, boy. And forget about supper," he put his belt back on, took his bottle and left the kitchen.

Severus wiped blood and tears from his face and gingerly pulled up his briefs and trousers, wincing when the cloth scraped over his bleeding buttocks. He knew he would be unable to sit for a few days. Slowly he ascended the stairs and headed to the bathroom. He quickly washed his face and brushed his teeth, avoiding his reflection in the mirror. Having no strength to take a shower, Severus went to his bedroom, feeling gnawing pain in his stomach. He hadn't eaten anything that day, except a sandwich with cheese at breakfast.

The boy entered his room and checked the magical notebook, hidden under a bed. It was glowing slightly, indicating that Lily had sent a message. Severus opened it and read:

 _You ran so quickly that I didn't have time to ask. Will we meet tomorrow?_

 _I'm sorry but I can't. My father was very angry for me being late. He won't let me go,_ Severus wrote.

Lily's answer appeared after a few minutes. _That's a pity. Let me know when you'll be able to meet. I hope everything is fine. I love you. Goodnight._

 _I love you too. Sleep well._

Severus hid the notebook and lay down on the bed, not bothering to change into pyjamas. He turned to his stomach and gently covered himself with a blanket. He felt so sad and hopeless that he wanted to cry. However, he managed to control his tears, reminding himself to be strong and never give up and that soon, this hell would be over. Only five weeks more. He had to survive, if not for himself, then for Lily. With this decision in mind, Severus used Occlumency to clean his mind from all emotions and memories and fell asleep almost immediately.

* * *

 _Many thanks to wonderful **Crimson Thorn Of Sapphire Rose** who did an amazing job editing this chapter._


	2. Angel and Devil

**Chapter 2**

 **Angel and Devil**

 _I love you too. Sleep well._

"Lily! The supper is ready!" Lily's mother shouted from downstairs. "I've been calling you for fifteen minutes!"

"I'm coming, Mum!"

Lily closed the notebook and put it in the drawer of her desk. She was disappointed that she wouldn't see Severus tomorrow, but quickly discarded these egoistical thoughts and focused instead on how to help her boyfriend. She was afraid that Severus' punishment for being late was something more serious than his father forbidding the son to meet with his girlfriend.

Lily came down to the kitchen where her parents and sister were waiting for her. She sat down in her usual spot and smiled when she saw spaghetti, one of her favourite meals, on her plate.

"Finally, I'm starving," said Petunia reproachfully and started eating.

"I'm sorry, I was waiting for Severus' reply," her family knew about the magical notebooks. "He ran so suddenly to his house and I wanted to be sure that he's okay."

"Is he?" asked her father.

"I think so. But he won't be able to meet me tomorrow."

"Shame. I thought we could go together to the swimming pool," said Petunia. Despite their initial antipathy, Petunia and Severus eventually had become friends, in no small part thanks to Lily's continuous efforts to make them see good traits in another person and be nice to each other.

"I was hoping for that, too. Maybe another time," said Lily and began eating.

"I have great news," announced Petunia after a while. "I've broken up with Vernon."

"Wonderful!" exclaimed Lily. "I don't know how you could stand that fat git."

Neither of her parents admonished her for this offensive expression. None in their family liked Vernon Dursley and they didn't hide it.

"He was nice in the beginning. And I guess I was a little desperate to have a boyfriend so I was satisfied with anyone. But he became possessive and egoistic and I understood that he was not a good match for me and that I didn't love him. I decided that I would be better off without him."

"How did he react?" asked their father with concern. Everybody knew that Vernon didn't like when something wasn't going on as he planned and also had problems with controlling his anger.

"He was shocked and tried to persuade me to change my mind. But then he started shouting that I was not worthy of him, that I'd regret leaving him and that he'd never loved me. I left without giving him a second glance," said Petunia proudly.

"Serves him right," replied Lily. "And don't let his words bother you. He's the one not worthy of you. And you're worthy of someone much better than that stupid pig."

"Thanks, Lily," Petunia smiled, happy that her younger sister was standing in her defence.

"I'm glad you've broken up with that boy," said their mother. "I never liked Vernon. He was vain and selfish. And he ate so much and never praised my cooking." Everyone laughed at that statement.

After supper, Lily and Petunia washed dishes. When everything was nicely kept in cupboards, the older girl went upstairs to her room and Lily went to a living room where her parents were watching TV. She was a little nervous but decided not to postpone her conversation with her parents about Severus.

"Mum, Dad, I have to talk with you," she announced.

"About what?" asked her father while her mother switched off the television.

"About Severus," said Lily seriously and sat down in an armchair opposite her parents who exchanged knowing looks.

"Lily, don't you think it's too early. You should wait until you're of age," began her mother.

Lily looked at her, confused. What was she talking about?

"That's very responsible step," added her father. "You both have to be absolutely sure."

"Wait," Lily interrupted them. "What are you talking about?" But before her parents answered her, she said, "Actually, it doesn't matter now. I want to talk with you about Severus because I think he's abused by his father."

Her mother and father looked at her with shock written all over their faces. It clearly wasn't what they had been expecting.

"Abused? Why do you think so?" asked her mother.

"Since we returned from school, he has been behaving strangely. He doesn't want to hug or kiss me anymore, he keeps his distance from me, is easily startled and today even flinched when I touched him. And I know his father beats him, Severus said so today."

"Forgive me, Lily, but it's nothing new. We've known that Tobias Snape sometimes hits Severus since you first met," said Lily's father.

"Yes, I realise that, but this time it's different," insisted Lily. "When we were younger Severus often reacted in the way I described a moment ago. However, when we went to Hogwarts he changed. He was less afraid of other people, he behaved almost normally. But now it all came back. Something must have happened earlier this summer. Something far worse than simple beating. And it is still happening. I see that Severus isn't himself. I'm afraid it's something terrible. He wouldn't react so badly to beating."

At the end of her speech, Lily had tears in her eyes.

"And when his mother lived, at least he had someone to defend him and heal him after his father's punishments. But now, he's alone, has no one to help him."

"Lily, darling, calm down," said her mother and sat next to her. "We'll try to help Severus, I promise."

"Thank you," smiled Lily through tears. "But what can we do? Should we notify the police?"

"I doubt the police will want to help us at this moment," said Lily's father, frowning. "They need more proofs to start an investigation. They'll consider your suspicions too weak to warrant an interrogation of Tobias Snape."

"But we have to do something!" said Lily with desperation.

"Maybe we should turn to social work first," suggested her mother. "They need fewer proofs to start working on a case and if their suspicions are strong, they are able to get the police involved. But they have no authority to enter a house without an owner's permission, so Severus' father may just deny everything and not let them in."

"He probably will," said Lily.

"Then, we'll try with the police," replied her father. "And you have to gather more proofs, Lily, try to persuade Severus to tell you more about his situation at home. Of course, the easiest way is if Severus goes with us to the police or social work and tells them everything himself."

"That's impossible," said Lily. "Severus is too proud to admit to a stranger that he's abused by his own father. He doesn't even want to talk with me about it and he trusts me."

"But he talked with you today, didn't he?"

"He only said that his father had hit him the day before and that it was nothing special. It will be difficult to coax him into telling me something more."

"You have to try," said her mother. "And we'll go tomorrow to social work. Trust me, Lily, we'll do everything we can to help Severus."

"Thanks, Mum, Dad. I was afraid you wouldn't believe me or brush it off as nothing."

"We would never do that, sweetheart. You know Severus better than us and if you say that something's wrong, then we trust you. We care about him as much as you do. He's almost as a son."

Lily's father nodded, agreeing with his wife's statement.

"I love you," said Lily and kissed both her parents on cheeks.

"Go to bed, Lily," said her father with a smile. "And don't worry. Everything will be fine."

Lily bade her parents goodnight and went upstairs to her bedroom. She was grateful that her parents were willing to help Severus, and for their kind words about her boyfriend. She knew that they liked him but she had never suspected that they cared about him as if he was their own child. As she lay down on a bed, she remembered her father's words that everything would be fine. She wanted to share in his optimism but found it very difficult to do. She had a sinking feeling that if they didn't act quickly, something terrible would occur.

* * *

Severus walked quickly through the town, heading to the Evans' house. Earlier that day, he had received a message from Lily in which she informed him that his O.W.L. results had arrived and invited him to a dinner. Without much hope, he had asked his father if he could go and to his surprise, Tobias had agreed. Severus suspected that the only reason his father let him meet with Lily was fear that if he kept his son at home all the time, it would raise suspicions.

Bruises and wounds from a beating he received a few days ago still hurt but Severus was determined to not let Lily and her family see that something was wrong. He would just grit his teeth and not make any indications that he was in pain. He was good at it after years of practice in hiding his emotions and feelings.

He approached a small house with a well-maintained garden full of beautiful flowers and rang a bell. After a few seconds Petunia opened the door.

"Hello, Severus," she greeted him with a smile and let him in. "You're a bit early, the dinner isn't ready yet but Lily is waiting for you in her room."

"Hello, Petunia. I haven't seen you in a while. How are you?"

"Excellent! I've broken up with Vernon!"

"Really? Considering your good humour I guess you haven't cried over it." Severus had met Vernon Dursley only once and the other boy hadn't left a good impression on him.

"Not a single tear," said Petunia happily. "I can't understand now why I waited so long to end that relationship. I'm far happier without him."

"That's great. He wasn't the man for you. You deserve someone better."

"I hope to find him soon. Go to Lily's room, she's waiting for you. I'll help Mum with the dinner, it'll be ready in about fifteen minutes," the older Evans sister said and went to the kitchen.

Severus took off his tattered shoes, trying to squash down feelings of shame and envy when he saw the new and well-kept shoes of the Evans family. He had only this one pair of shoes and although he cared for it and kept it clean, there wasn't much he could do to repair a peeled sole or threadbare material, especially without magic. The boy placed his shoes behind a cupboard, to keep them out of sight, and felt a rush of anger at his father who preferred spending his money on alcohol rather than buying his child some decent clothes and shoes.

Severus went upstairs and before he reached Lily's room, he met Mr Evans in a hallway. He liked Lily's father who was always nice and kind and didn't judge him on his background and poverty. What's more, Richard Evans never pitied him, a trait that gladdened the boy tremendously. Above all, Severus hated pity.

"Good afternoon, sir," Severus greeted the older man.

"Hello, Severus. Nice to see you. How are you?"

"Fine. Thank you, sir," lied Severus.

Mr Evans nodded but said nothing and Severus noticed that instead of his usual smile, there were sadness and concern on his face. Before he could wonder what had caused them, Lily opened her bedroom's door.

"Hi, Sev," she greeted him merrily. "Come in quickly. I cannot wait to see what marks you've got."

"Lily, that's Severus' results, not yours," Mr Evans admonished his daughter.

But Severus only laughed and went to his girlfriend's room. When Lily wanted to close the door, her father stopped her.

"Leave the door open, Lily. We talked about it," he reminded her.

"Yes, Dad," said Lily with a scowl.

With a last warning glance, her father went downstairs.

"Does your father think that we will-" started Severus, sitting on her bed.

"Yes, he thinks we will have sex," Lily admitted and sat next to him, leaving the door wide open. "Silly, really."

Severus blushed and looked down at his hands. So Lily thought that idea of having sex with him was silly. He knew that he wasn't attractive but thought that it didn't matter to her and they would make love in the future. That's what partners did, right? Apparently, he was wrong.

"Oh, Sev, I didn't mean it like that," Lily said hastily as if reading in his mind. "I mean my dad's idea that we'll have sex if I close the door is silly. I wouldn't do that, not in a house full of other people."

Severus looked at her and smiled. She was right, he wouldn't do that either. But he couldn't understand how his sweet Lily was able to speak about sex so freely. He was always uncomfortable when people, especially his friends from dormitory, were talking about their sex lives. But she was his girlfriend, it was normal that they were discussing these things and yet, he still blushed and couldn't mutter a word.

"I cannot wait till we're of age and can do whatever we want," continued Lily.

"Only six months left," said Severus.

"Yeah, but we'll be in Hogwarts then and it will be even more difficult to find a private place than here," she paused then came closer to him, took his hand and looked him in the eyes. Severus managed to suppress a flinch, reminding himself that this was Lily and she's not going to hurt him. "We don't have to wait till we're seventeen, Sev. We can do it now."

"Now? But you just said-"

"Not right now. But this summer. When my parents and Petunia are out or in our secret spot. I think I'm ready. I often fantasize about you, about us when I'm alone. You know what I mean?"

Severus nodded. He knew perfectly well what she meant because he did the same thing on a regular basis.

"Do you also fantasise about me, Severus? I know you please yourself, every young man does it."

"I do. I always dream about you," he admitted shyly. Lily was now whispering in his ear and Severus felt uncomfortable tightness in his pants.

"Don't you want to try it for real? I don't want to wait anymore. I'm ready. Are you, Sev?"

She kissed him hungrily, licking his lips with her tongue. Severus opened his mouth and their tongues met. For a short moment, he forgot about his hellish home life and drowned entirely in the ocean of peace and happiness. His whole world consisted only of Lily and him. But when he felt Lily's hands beneath his shirt he momentarily tensed and quickly broke the kiss, pushing her away.

He looked at her and his heart broke when he saw hurt and confusion on her face. Unable to look at his girlfriend, he said quietly,

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm not ready. Not yet. I really want to try in the near future but I-" he didn't know what else to say. He was so scared. He wasn't sure if he ever would be ready. But if he didn't, Lily would leave him and that terrified him even more.

"It's alright, Severus. We can wait. I'm sorry, I was too quick. We'll do it when you're ready. No hurry, no pressure, alright?"

She took his hand in hers again and stroked his long hair with the other. Severus dared to look at her and smiled timidly. She was his angel, full of compassion and understanding. He was so lucky to have her.

"Oh, I forgot about your O.W.L. results!" exclaimed Lily and Severus was glad that she changed the subject.

Lily retrieved a yellow envelope from a desk's drawer and handed it to Severus who opened it quickly. He wasn't very nervous about his marks, he knew that he did well in the subjects that mattered to him. He unfolded the paper and read:

 _ORDINARY WIZARDING LEVEL RESULTS_

 _Pass grades:_

 _Outstanding (O)_

 _Exceeds Expectations (E)_

 _Acceptable (A)_

 _Fail grades:_

 _Poor (P)_

 _Dreadful (D)_

 _Troll (T)_

 _SEVERUS TOBIAS SNAPE HAS ACHIEVED:_

 _Ancient Runes: O_

 _Arithmancy: O_

 _Astronomy: E_

 _Care of Magical Creatures: O_

 _Charms: O_

 _Defence Against the Dark Arts: O_

 _Herbology: O_

 _History of Magic: E_

 _Potions: O_

 _Transfiguration: E_

Severus read through his marks twice and smiled happily. He was proud of his seven Outstandings, especially those in Potions and Defence Against the Dark Arts. He never cared about History of Magic, it was extremely boring and he was surprised that he even managed to get an E. He liked Astronomy but he was not going to continue it, this subject was Lily's domain, not his. And he always had problems with Transfiguration, he didn't like the subject and its teacher and considering that the exam had taken place after the disastrous incident by the lake, Severus thought that he did extremely well.

"Sev?" asked Lily after a while. "How did you do?"

"Great," he answered and gave her his notes. "Take a look. May I see yours?"

"Yeah, sure," she handed him her results which were as good as his:

 _LILY CATHERINE EVANS HAS ACHIEVED:_

 _Ancient Runes: O_

 _Arithmancy: O_

 _Astronomy: O_

 _Care of Magical Creatures: E_

 _Charms: O_

 _Defence Against the Dark Arts: O_

 _Herbology: O_

 _History of Magic: E_

 _Potions: O_

 _Transfiguration: E_

"Congratulations," said Severus. "I always knew you would get excellent marks."

"Thank you and congrats to you also, Sev. I think we could be proud of ourselves. So, what subjects are you going to continue? You still want to be a potioneer, don't you?"

"Yes, like my mother. Obviously, I'm continuing Potions, also Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures, it is important for a potioneer to know properties of plants and animals and how they can be used in making potions. Arithmancy is important as well and Ancient Runes will allow me to read and study old textbooks. I'm also carrying on with Defence, it's essential to know how to defend yourself, especially during this unstable times and Charms because they are always useful."

"What about Transfiguration?"

"No, I don't think it's very useful in potions making. And I never saw a point in learning how to change an animal into a goblet or a turtle into a teapot. That's silly and useless. I grant you, there are some useful transfiguration charms but I can learn them myself if I need to. What about you, Lily?"

"Well, I still don't know what I want to do after school. I hesitate between becoming a potioneer, a healer or an astronomer. I'm definitely continuing Potions, Charms, Herbology, Defence and Transfiguration, they are obligatory if I want to enter a school for healers. I'm also carrying on with Astronomy and Arithmancy."

"Seven subjects, for both of us," concluded Severus. "I hope we'll have a lot of classes together."

"Me too," added his girlfriend and kissed him on a cheek.

"I'm sorry for interrupting but dinner is ready," said a voice from a doorway and when Severus turned he saw Petunia standing there with a smile on her face. "What marks have you achieved, Severus?"

"Seven O's and three E's."

"Congratulations. Come on, mum is waiting with a dinner. Lily and I also have made a cake to celebrate your success."

Three teenagers went downstairs to the kitchen where Mr and Mrs Evans were waiting with a delicious dinner. Severus greeted them politely and sat down at his usual spot.

"Severus passed his O.W.L.s as good as I did," announced Lily before her parents were able to ask. "And we're continuing a lot of subjects together."

"Congratulations, Severus," said Mr Evans. "I always knew you would do well."

"We're so proud. Of both of you," added Mrs Evans.

Severus blushed and shyly thanked Lily's parents for their kind words. He never could comprehend why they had accepted a poor, awkward child, first as their daughter's best friend and then her boyfriend, but he would always be immensely grateful that they had welcomed him to their family and often wished that they had been his parents.

The dinner was excellent, especially for Severus who hadn't eaten since yesterday morning. His father, as usual, had preferred to spend money on alcohol rather than food. The Evans family and Severus spent a lovely afternoon, discussing many things, among which were Severus' and Lily's plans for the future and Petunia's break-up with Vernon. However, Severus noticed that Mr and Mrs Evans were observing him more closely than usual with concerned faces and were exchanging sometimes meaningful glances. He did everything in his power to hide any grimaces of pain he felt when sitting down or shifting in his chair. Although he tried really hard, he wasn't sure if he succeeded completely.

At six o'clock Severus thanked for the dinner and cake and prepared to return home. As he was tying his shoes, Lily's mother asked,

"Severus, take some food with you. There's a lot left, we won't eat everything alone. You won't have to cook tomorrow."

"Thank you, ma'am but I have a dinner for tomorrow. I don't want it to waste," Severus lied. He didn't have any food in the house, not to mention a dinner but he wasn't going to admit it. He also knew that his father wouldn't be happy if he brought food from other people.

"If you say so," replied Mrs Evans. "But don't hesitate to visit us whenever you want to. We're always happy to have you here."

"Thank you. I'll come as soon as I can. It's always a pleasure to meet you," he addressed the whole Evans family. "Thank you for today. Everything was delicious."

"Bye, Sev. I'll miss you. Write to me when you're home," Lily kissed him lightly on a cheek, not daring to kiss him more passionately in front of her parents.

He embraced Lily and bade a goodnight to everyone then went home, feelings of fear and dread growing with every step he took.

* * *

A few days later, Severus was standing at the top of stairs and listening to his father's conversation with a social worker. The boy had ambivalent feelings about this unexpected visit. He was angry that someone, presumably Lily or her parents, discovered his secret and sent a social worker to his house. On the other hand, he felt relief that someone was willing to help him and maybe save him from the hell he was living in. But above all these feelings, he felt growing panic and terror because he knew how this visit would end and who his father would be blaming and punishing in a few minutes.

"What are you doing here?" Tobias Snape asked coldly a middle-aged lady standing at their front door.

"We got a notification that you may have some problems in your household and we want to know if that information is true and if you need any help," she answered politely.

"Who told you that?"

"I can't say, sir. That's confidential."

"Well, we don't need any help. We're perfectly fine. Now get out of here!" Tobias shouted angrily.

But the lady wasn't giving up so easily.

"You have a son, right? Severus?"

"Yeah, what about him? Has he done something wrong?"

"No, sir. We are worried that he is abused here." Severus cringed when he heard these words. Oh, the punishment would be terrible. He wanted to run but he had no way of escape.

"Abused? I'm not abusing my son!" protested his father. "I won't let anyone blacken me! Go away! Now! Before I call the police!"

And he slammed the door in front of the lady's face.

Severus closed his eyes and waited for an outbreak of his father's anger.

"BOY! COME HERE!" Severus had never heard his father so furious before.

He slowly descended the stairs, his heart beating madly in his chest. Tobias Snape grabbed his son by his long hair and shook him, screaming in his face.

"Who did you tell?" Droplets of spit landed on Severus' face. "Your red-haired whore, huh?"

"Don't call her that!" Severus objected and quickly regretted it.

"Right, if I call her a whore then how should I call you!?" Still holding him by his hair, Severus' father dragged the boy to the kitchen. "Freak! Whore! Oh, you're going to remember this lesson!"

The man threw Severus to the floor, pulling out some of his hair in the process. Severus shrieked and held a hand to a bald spot, trying to lessen the pain. Before he could recover and react, Tobias grabbed him by his clothes and slammed him face down on the table. His father put one hand firmly on his neck, to keep him in place, and roughly lowered his trousers and pants. Moments later Severus heard that Tobias unbuckled his own belt and unzipped his trousers.

"Please, father- don't-" Severus begged, tears streaming down his face. "Please, don't- no, no-"

"How dare you call me a father!" yelled Tobias, kicking Severus in legs, spreading them apart. "You freaking, worthless bastard! You're good for only one thing!"

"No, please- no, no- no!"

Without a warning, Tobias Snape thrust his penis into his son. Severus shrieked horribly and tried to escape but his father tightened the grip on his neck, nearly suffocating him. Tobias was slamming into his son more violently and deeper with each thrust, bruising Severus' hips and abdomen in the process. Severus screamed and begged his father to stop but soon he lost strength and could only sob and occasionally emit a hoarse scream. At one moment, he felt something tearing inside him and blood leaking down his thighs. Tobias took his time in raping his son, trying to prolong the act as much as he can. Finally, he came inside Severus and took his member out, which caused the boy to yell in pain. Severus collapsed to the floor, unable to move, sobs shaking his thin frame.

"That'll teach you to keep your filthy mouth shut!" Tobias kicked his son in the face. Severus felt his nose breaking and blood flooding his face.

"Go upstairs to your room!" his father ordered mercilessly. "I'll be back soon with my friends. It's time to make some use of you."

Before Tobias left the kitchen, he gave another kick, this time to Severus' left side. The blow was so powerful that Severus almost fainted. He hardly heard his father leaving the house. Through pain and exhaustion, only one thought reached his mind: he had to leave, had to escape before his father returned with more men to rape him.

Severus tried to get up but was unable to. Something was wrong. He was hurting all over, his backside was in agony but the pain never stopped him from achieving his goal. He was feeling lightheaded and extremely exhausted as if he was going to faint in a moment. He knew that he was bleeding, from his nose and rectum, but blood loss surely wasn't so bad to make him feel this way. He desperately tried to stay conscious and crawl towards the front door but when he moved his arm, suddenly everything went black and Severus collapsed lifelessly on the floor.


	3. Rescue

**Chapter 3**

 **Rescue**

"Come on, Freya! We have to go!" Lily called her dog, who was frantically sniffling around a tree.

After peeing on the tree, Freya followed her owner obediently on their way to Severus's house.

Since the dinner in her home, Lily had not seen or received any message from her boyfriend. He wrote to her when he had gotten home and thanked her family for the delicious meal. Then he went silent despite the many notes Lily wrote to him. In desperation to reach him, she mustered up the courage to phone him but quickly hung up when she heard Tobias Snape's voice on the phone. Sick with worry, Lily finally decided to pay Severus a visit.

She had been in the Snapes' house only a few times, all of them when Severus's mother was still alive. Severus preferred to meet in a park or in her house and Lily knew why. He was embarrassed by his family's poverty: his small room without any toys, the fact that he could offer her only a glass of water while he received all kinds of drinks and sweets during his visits in her home. But the main reason for her rare visits in the Snapes' household was Severus's father. Lily knew that Tobias Snape regularly abused his wife and son and was more often drunk than sober. She saw him on a few occasions but met face to face only once. He couldn't refrain from saying rude and obscene comments to her, fortunately Eileen Snape placated her husband before he said or did something more. Lily feared this man and wished to never see him again.

But like a true Gryffindor, she conquered her fears and went to Spinner's End to check on her boyfriend.

She turned onto the street, which name 'Spinner's End' was written on an old damaged sign, and saw Severus's house in the middle of the row of the same brick houses where workers of the nearby mill dwelled. Severus lived under number seven which was commonly known to be a lucky number, both in the magical and non-magical world. However, Lily knew that young Slytherin rarely experienced any luck or happiness in that house.

When she neared a neighbouring house, she heard a man shouting, though she couldn't distinguish any words. She stopped, Freya beside her and listened carefully. Noises were coming from the Snapes' house, through the open window in the kitchen. Seconds later the silence was pierced by a horrible scream. Lily had never heard a scream like that before, full of agony and terror. And it was Severus's scream, she had no doubt.

Her first instinct was to run into Severus's house and help her boyfriend. But moments later she knew that would be a bad decision. She didn't have her wand with her and even if she had, she would be expelled from Hogwarts or even imprisoned for using magic and attacking a Muggle. She was no match for a big man, like Tobias Snape, and most likely would end up as another victim of Severus's father.

The best way to help Severus was to get someone older and stronger than her as quickly as possible.

"No, please- no, no- no!" Lily heard Severus's distressed voice and her heart broke upon hearing her dearest and oldest friend in pain.

Then came another terrible scream. Freya barked, hair standing up on her back. Lily felt tears welling in her eyes. She looked around but saw nobody who could help her. When she heard another scream, she turned around and ran towards her house, Freya behind her.

The girl lived nearby Spinner's End, across the river, near a small playground where she had met a shy, black-haired boy a few years ago. She ran across a bridge, took a shortcut through the playground and reached her house moments later. She saw her father getting out of the car, with shopping bags in his hands.

"Dad! Dad!" Richard Evans turned and saw his younger daughter running towards him, with a terrified look on her face.

"Lily! What happened?!" he asked concerned as the girl stopped beside him, panting heavily.

"Severus! His father- he's- he's hurting him!"

"What?! Where?!"

"In Sev's house. I was going to visit him and heard him screaming." Lily was crying now. "I didn't go inside. I ran immediately for you."

"You did well. Tobias might have hurt you too. Get in the car," her father said. He let Freya in the house and joined Lily in the vehicle.

During the ride Lily told her father about the whole situation in detail. In a few minutes they were driving onto Spinner's End. Suddenly Richard stopped a few buildings before Severus's house. They saw Tobias Snape leaving the house, slamming the door behind him, and going in the opposite direction.

"That's good. We won't have to deal with him. And he didn't lock the door," said Lily's father and stopped in front of the house.

Moments later they cautiously entered the house, Richard first, his daughter right behind him. They went through the short corridor and Richard entered the kitchen. What he saw made him freeze in place, causing Lily to bump into her father.

"Dad? What is it?" she asked fearfully.

Before her father could stop her, Lily went past him and saw a sight which would later hunt her dreams. On the floor, beside the table, lay Severus, battered and bloodied, with trousers down to his knees.

"Oh," said Lily, so shocked that she didn't know what to say or do.

Richard Evans recovered quickly and went to the boy. He checked the pulse on Severus's neck and listened for breaths.

"Dad?" whispered Lily, still standing in the doorway. _Please, don't be dead. Please, don't be dead. Please, don't be dead,_ she repeated in her head.

"He's breathing," said her father and Lily sighed in relief. "But his pulse is weak and very quick. It appears he lost a lot of blood. We need to call an ambulance. Does Severus have a phone?"

"Yes," answered Lily and quickly went to the living room to call for help.

While his daughter was gone, Richard examined the boy more closely. He noticed a lot of bruises around Severus's hips, in different stages of healing. There were also welts and wounds on his buttocks which explained why Severus had been grimacing while sitting a few days ago. At first Richard thought that Severus was naked because of beating but then he noticed something else. Thin trails of blood on his thighs, mixed with white substance. Adding what he was seeing to Lily's descriptions of her boyfriend's behaviour Richard Evans came to a horrific conclusion.

Cursing under his breath, he quickly pulled the trousers over Severus's backside, hoping Lily hadn't seen the signs of rape. He delicately moved the boy's head so he wouldn't suffocate in the growing puddle of blood from his broken nose.

"The ambulance will be here in a few minutes," said Lily, entering the kitchen. She knelt down beside Severus and took his cold, clammy hand. "Dad, is Sev going to be alright?"

"I don't know, sweetheart," said Richard honestly. "I hope so but we have to wait till we get to the hospital."

They waited in silence for several minutes. Richard was checking Severus's breath and pulse every minute and Lily tried to wipe blood and tears from his face with her handkerchief. She was scared, she had never felt so much fear before, not even when facing a boggart in her third year. She couldn't comprehend that Severus may be dying, that he could not survive this. She couldn't imagine life without him.

Finally, they heard an ambulance's signal. Richard stood and went to the front door to let the emergency crew in.

"Hello, I'm Jonathan Burke, I'm a paramedic," said a tall man in his forties. Behind him stood two younger men. "You called for a medical help?"

"Yes," said Richard and led them into the kitchen. "My daughter's boyfriend, Severus, is seriously hurt. He was most probably beaten by his father. He's unconscious but still breathing."

"When did this happen?"

"We found him about fifteen minutes ago."

The paramedic nodded. "If you suspect that he was beaten by his father, you should call a police. They need to be informed about a crime."

Richard went to make a call and Jonathan Burke started examining Severus while his two colleagues measured the boy's blood pressure and put an IV in his arm and a mask over his mouth and nose. Lily observed everything with wide eyes but didn't dare to ask the most important question.

Richard returned when the paramedics were putting Severus on a stretcher.

"How is he?" asked Lily's father and embraced his daughter.

"Not good," said Jonathan. "He's lucky that you found him so quickly. He's in shock, his blood pressure is low and heart rate high. He's most probably bleeding inside. He's getting fluids but we must take him to the hospital. A surgery might be needed."

"Will he live?" asked Lily, tears streaming down her face.

"I don't know but he has good chances if we act quickly. He's young and strong and is in good hands," the man reassured Lily, giving her a small smile.

"Can we go with you?"

"Your father called the police so you should wait here for them. You may visit Severus later in the hospital."

The younger paramedics took Severus out to the ambulance and Richard accompanied Jonathan to the door.

"I have a few formal questions," said the paramedic. "What is his full name and how old is he?"

"Severus Snape, sixteen."

"Who are his parents and do you know where they are?"

"His mother is dead and his father, Tobias Snape, left the house as we drove into the street. I don't know where he went."

"And your name, sir?"

"Richard Evans. And there is one more thing that you should know. I didn't want to mention it in front of my daughter but I strongly suspect that Severus was raped."

Jonathan gasped and noted something in his papers.

"Thank you. We're taking him to the main hospital in the city centre. Ask in the reception in which ward to find him."

Richard nodded. "Thank you. And please do everything in your power to help him."

"We always do," Jonathan said and got quickly into the car.

Richard returned to the kitchen where Lily was sitting at the table and crying, with her head buried in her hands. Sobs were shacking her shoulders and she sounded completely distraught. Richard's heart broke upon seeing his little daughter so upset and he didn't want to think how she was going to react after learning the whole truth about Severus's condition. He hugged her closely, trying to comfort her.

"Lily, we have to be strong. Severus needs us. He will need your strength and help to recover."

"What if he won't- won't recover?"

"He will. I promise you," said Richard, though they both knew that it was a promise he may be unable to keep.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Lily slowly calming down. When they heard someone knocking on the door, Richard went to open and found two police officers standing before him.

"Good morning," said the older one. "Are you Richard Evans?"

"Yes," answered Lily's father and led them into the living room. "Do you need to speak with my daughter also?"

"Not now. We may want to ask her a few questions later if she knows anything about this case," said the police officer and took out a pen and a notebook to write down Mr Evans's statement. "Well, sir, tell us everything you know about what happened to Severus Snape."

Richard told them everything he saw and knew, beginning with Lily's concerns and suspicions and ending on that morning's events. After making sure that Lily was still in the kitchen, he told them about his strong suspicion that Severus had been raped and asked the police officers to not tell or suggest to his daughter that Severus may have been sexually abused. Later, the officers questioned Lily, who confirmed her father's version, adding some more profound observations of Severus's behaviour. Finally, they investigated and took some photos of the kitchen, where the crime had taken place.

"Thank you," said the older officer. "We will try to find and Tobias Snape. We'll also ask doctors' opinions on this matter and question Severus when he recovers. And you and your family's members have to be prepared for being summoned to the police station for giving further testimony."

"I understand, sir. I hope you find Severus's father."

As soon as the police officers left the house, Richard phoned his wife and told her what had happened while Lily waited impatiently in the car. Finally, they drove to the hospital, thankfully without any interruptions, parked the car and rushed inside, stopping at the reception desk.

"How can I help you, sir?" asked the receptionist.

"We're looking for Severus Snape, he was brought here about an hour ago."

"Severus Snape... wait a moment," the woman searched through many notes laying on her desk. "Oh, yes. He was taken straight to the operating room, on the first floor. But you can't go there, you'll have to wait outside."

"Thank you," said Richard and headed with Lily to the first floor.

They quickly found the operating theatre and sat down on chairs in the waiting area. Neither Lily nor her father said anything, both immersed in their thoughts and hoping for a successful outcome. Half an hour of nervous waiting later, the operating room's door opened and two doctors came out. Richard quickly stood up and stopped one of them.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what's happening with Severus Snape?"

Before the doctor could answer, his colleague asked:

"And who are you, sir?"

"Richard Evans. And this is my daughter, Lily."

The doctor bowed his head in greetings.

"I'm Dr Shephard, I was operating on Severus and now I'm taking care of him. The operation went well, he's stable but still unconscious. He was moved to the intensive care unit," after a moment of consideration, he added. "Sir, if you don't mind, please go to my office, just outside the surgical ward, and wait there for me. I'll be there in about fifteen minutes and tell you about everything in detail."

Richard nodded, too filled with joy to speak. He was watching Dr Shephard following his colleague when he heard Lily crying behind him. He turned and saw his daughter, tears streaming down her cheeks but happiness and relief on her face. They were tears of joy.

"He's alive, he's alive," repeated Lily frantically as she hugged her father. They stood embraced for a few minutes, sharing their happiness, before going to Dr Shephard's office. He came shortly after and let them in his small office.

"Please, sit down," said the doctor, indicating chairs beside his desk and sitting in one himself. "My name is Daniel Shephard and I'm a pediatric surgeon. Severus was put under my care and I'll do everything I can to help Severus recover and leave the hospital in good health. What happened to the boy is shocking and outrageous! I hope whoever did this will be punished accordingly!" He stopped, looked at his guests and smiled apologetically. "Forgive me, but I can't be calm when I see child abuse."

"I understand you, sir. I feel the same," Richard reassured the doctor.

"Well then, let's get to the matter, shall we? May I see your identity document, sir?" he nodded when Lily's father presented his document. "Everything's fine. Thanks to Severus's mother I'm now able to tell you everything about his condition."

"What do you mean, sir?" asked Lily surprised.

"You see, in case of minors, we can only relay information about their health to their parents," said Dr Shephard. "But Eileen Snape came to the hospital some time ago and made a note in her son's documentation that Richard and Laura Evans can be informed as well. It appears she didn't trust her husband and was afraid something may happen to her."

"She died in March," replied Lily. "Sev's father found her dead in their bedroom."

"Poor boy," said Dr Shephard and after a moment of silence continued: "So, the main issue with Severus's condition, as the paramedics rightly diagnosed, was internal bleeding. A huge bruise started forming on his left side so it's highly probable that someone had kicked him. It must have been a strong blow and Severus's thin frame didn't help much in protecting his internal organs. As we had suspected, after we opened his abdomen, his spleen was ruptured. It was damaged so badly that we had to remove it completely."

"Does he need a transplant?" asked Lily with tears in her eyes after hearing what her boyfriend went through. "I can give mine."

"That's very generous of you but it won't be necessary. A spleen is an important organ but you can live without it. Severus may have decreased immunity now. He will be vaccinated against diseases he hasn't already been and he will have to be careful to avoid infections. That's all, nothing dramatic or decreasing life comfort."

Lily noted in her head to ask Madam Pomfrey if there was an elixir for impaired immunity. If not, she was sure that Severus would invent one someday.

"Severus also has a broken nose," continued Dr Shephard. "We repositioned it and applied a proper dressing."

"Not for the first time," added Lily grimly. "Since we met he has had a nose broken three times: twice by his father and once in school. I don't know how many times before we met."

The doctor noted something in his papers and said: "We observed a lot of bruises on Severus' body, especially on his hips and abdomen. His back and buttocks are not only heavily bruised but also have wounds, presumably from being hit with a belt. Jonathan Burke told us what you suspected and-" but then he looked at Lily and paused.

"And what, sir?" demanded Lily.

"Lily, can you please wait outside?" Richard asked. Lily didn't need to know about rape right now and Richard believed that Severus should have a choice if and when to tell her about it.

"But Dad-" Lily whined.

"No discussion," her father said sternly and with an offended face Lily left the room.

"So, I was right?" Richard asked in a hushed voice, in case Lily was listening on the other side of the door. "Was Severus raped?"

"It appears so," answered Dr Shephard. "We secured samples of blood, semen and epidermis from Severus's body and we hope that they'll indicate who did this. Of course, Severus's testimony will be essential. And judging by bruises on the boy's hips, which are in different stages of healing, we suspect that today wasn't the first time."

Richard's heart broke for the poor boy. He couldn't comprehend how someone was able to commit such a hideous deed, moreover to his own child. He vowed to himself that he would do anything to protect Severus from further harm.

"May we see Severus?" he asked and felt tears stinging in his eyes. He hastily dabbed them so Lily wouldn't see him crying.

"I'll check on Severus and let you know if he's stable enough for a visit," said the doctor and left the office.

Lily came in. She was in tears.

"It's all my fault," Lily whimpered. "I should have seen that something was wrong earlier. I should have done something. I should have-" but she was unable to continue. She was sobbing so hard that she had difficulty catching a breath.

Her father embraced her tightly, stroking her hair and whispering in her ear.

"Sweetheart, it's not your fault. Nor is it Severus's. You shouldn't blame yourself. You know how good Severus is at acting and hiding his problems. You couldn't have known. And you've done enough. You saved him not only today but thanks to your love and support you helped Severus to get through this nightmare."

"I wish- I wish I had done more," sobbed Lily, trying to control her breath.

"We all wish," replied her father. "But we can't change the past. However, we can help Severus now, care for him, protect him and love him. It will take time for Severus to return to normalcy after what was done to him but I believe with our help he will. It will be difficult for Severus and us but we can do it, Lily, right?"

"Right," the girl agreed and managed a weak smile. "But what if Severus has to go back to his father?"

"I hope that Tobias Snape will get a harsh punishment for his crimes. And we will protect Severus no matter what."

"But he's sixteen now. If his father goes to the prison, he will need a guardian and he doesn't have any family left. Is he going to live in an orphanage?" asked Lily and new tears came to her eyes at the thought of her boyfriend living in the institution.

"Don't worry, Lily. I have a plan."

Before Lily could inquire about her father's plan, Dr Shephard returned.

"You may see Severus. He's awake but very tired so the visit has to be short. There can be only one visitor at a time."

"Of course," said Mr Evans and together with his daughter followed the doctor into the intensive care unit.

"How long is Severus going to stay in the hospital?" asked Lily while they were walking along the corridor.

"I can't tell you now. It depends on many factors. Severus lost a lot of blood, he was transfused two units of blood but may need more. We cannot release him until his blood results are back to normal. He also has a big surgical wound; we must be sure it's healing well, that there is no infection before Severus can go home."

They arrived at the ICU and Lily followed the doctor into the ward while her father waited outside. They stopped at the bed beside the window where Severus was lying under white sheets. His eyes were closed but Lily couldn't tell if he was sleeping or just resting. The boy was extremely pale. Lily saw dark bruises around his neck and on his arms and chest. A few cords were attached to his chest and medicines and blood were dripping slowly through the cannulas into his veins.

"Severus," the doctor said gently and the boy immediately opened his eyes. "You have a visitor."

Lily came closer and the doctor left the couple alone.

"Hi, Sev," whispered Lily and though she tried very hard, she couldn't stop tears from welling in her eyes.

"Lily," said Severus so quietly that she barely heard him.

"How are you feeling?" she asked, sat down in a chair and took his cold hand in hers.

"Tired. I want to sleep," he answered and Lily saw that her boyfriend had troubles keeping his eyes open.

She wanted to say so many things, to ask so many questions but she knew they had to wait. So she asked only one, for her the most important question:

"Are you in any pain?"

After a while Severus answered: "No."

Lily smiled. "Sleep, Sev. I'll be here, I'll watch over you. I love you."

She wanted to kiss him but before she finished speaking, Severus was asleep.

The girl recalled the first time she kissed Severus and confessed her love for him. It was a bittersweet memory of a moment when tears of sadness caused tears of joy and at last joined the two young people together.

 _It was the first day of spring, warm and sunny. Lily emerged from the Transfiguration classroom, happy to be done with lessons for that week. However, there was a cloud hanging over her. She hadn't seen Severus, her best friend, since breakfast. He hadn't come to Potions, which her house shared with Slytherins, and later hadn't appeared at lunch. Lily had gone to the Hospital Wing, worried that he was ill or injured, but Madam Pomfrey had denied seeing him that day. When he hadn't showed up at Transfiguration either, she had become really worried and couldn't focus on the lesson's task. Finally, the lesson was over and Lily could dedicate her full attention on finding Severus._

 _The redhead entered the Great Hall and searched for her friend in the midst of Slytherin students. As she had feared, he wasn't there. She marched quickly to the Slytherin table, ignoring curious looks she got, and stopped beside Regulus, Sirius Black's younger brother, who was Severus's friend and was at least civil to her._

" _Regulus, may I have a word?"_

 _He looked at the Gryffindor surprised but nodded and followed her out of the Great Hall where they could talk more privately._

" _What do you want, Evans?"_

" _Do you know where Severus is? I haven't seen him since morning, he didn't attend any classes today."_

 _The boy nodded, as if he had expected her question. He looked a bit worried._

" _Ah yes, Severus. Something wrong must have happened. I don't know what but Avery said that Dumbledore had come for him during Charms class and he hadn't returned. I heard Jamie saying that he had locked himself in the boy's bathroom on the third floor. Sorry, that's all I knew."_

" _Thanks, that's enough!" Lily said and ran up the stairs before Regulus could say another word._

 _Lily stopped beside the boy's toilet on the third floor, panting heavily. She looked around to check nobody else was in the corridor, opened the door and quickly slipped into the bathroom. Thankfully, it was empty. She walked quietly to the last cabin, the only one closed, and heard a distinct buzzing, which meant that Severus must have cast a Muffliato spell to not be heard by other students._

" _Severus?" she softly asked and knocked on the door._

 _The buzzing immediately stopped and she heard Severus sniffling and clearing his throat. Lily furrowed her brows. Was he crying?_

" _Lily?" the boy's voice was hoarse and weak. "What are you doing here? It's a boy's toilet."_

" _I was worried about you. And I'm a prefect, I can go anywhere if there's a need," she waited for his answer but none came. "Sev, may I come in?"_

 _After a long while, Lily heard a latch opening. She entered the cabin, closed the door behind her and cast the Muffliato charm. When she looked at Severus, she was horrified. She had never seen him in such a dreadful state before._

 _The Slytherin was sitting beside the toilet, leaning against the stone wall and hugging his knees. His greasy hair was tangled, his robes in disarray. When he looked at Lily, she saw tears steadily flowing from his red-rimmed eyes. Wet toilet paper was lying around him._

 _Lily was heartbroken to see her friend so distraught, so vulnerable. He had never looked so bad, not when Potter and his friends bullied and humiliated him, not even when his father beat him. Lily wanted to hug him, comfort him but on the other hand she wanted to find those who had hurt Severus and punish them for making him suffer._

 _The girl sat down beside Severus and hugged him gently. He rested his head on her shoulder and tried to say something through the tears but soon he lost the battle and new sobs wracked his thin frame. Lily just held him tightly, stroking his hair tenderly, knowing that no words would comfort him now._

 _After a few minutes, Severus stopped sobbing though tears were still silently running from his eyes. He took a few deep, shaky breaths, trying to get his emotions under control, although with little success. Sensing that her friend had calmed a bit, Lily finally asked:_

" _Sev, what happened? Someone hurt you? Potter and his gang?"_

" _No," he whimpered. He tried to say something more but not a sound escaped his throat._

" _Sev, calm down. Take a deep breath."_

 _Following Lily's guidance, Severus eventually mastered his breath and said:_

" _My- my mum," he paused. "She's- she's dead."_

 _Lily was shocked. She hadn't expected this. Eileen Snape was still a young woman and from what Lily knew, she hadn't been ill. Had she had an accident? Lily had met Severus's mother only a couple of times and although she had seemed sad or even depressed, she had always been nice and polite to Severus's best friend. Lily knew that Severus loved his mother dearly, even though she sometimes neglected him and couldn't defend her son from his abusive father._

" _Severus, I'm so sorry," she held him more tightly. "I don't know what to say..."_

" _Just don't leave me," he whispered desperately._

" _I won't. Of course I won't."_

" _Thank you," Severus replied. After a moment, he continued: "Dumbledore came for me this morning. He said that my father had found her in their bedroom. Apparently she committed suicide," he looked at Lily suddenly and in his black eyes she saw not only sadness and despair but also anger. "Why has she done that? Why has she left me alone?"_

" _You're not alone, Severus. You have me, my family..."_ and that's all _, thought Lily sadly._

" _I love you."_

 _She looked at him, speechless._

" _And not just like a friend. I've loved you like a friend since we first met but in the third year it became something more," Severus was speaking quickly, like he had wanted to say it for a long time and now, when he had finally found courage, he was determined to say it all at once. "I fell in love with you. I'm in love with you. I want to be with you forever," he was rambling now, looking embarrassed at his shoes. "I'm sorry. Forget it. I shouldn't have said it. Sorry..."_

" _Severus, don't be sorry," Lily said gently, lifted his chin and looked him in the eyes. "I love you too."_

 _The astonished look on his face would make her laugh in any other circumstances._

" _You love me?" he asked disbelievingly._

" _Yes, for quite some time," she admitted. "It started last summer, I think. Then I started to look at you not just like a friend but also like a boy. And when Mary joked a few months ago that we should start dating because we're basically always together, it got me thinking. And I realised I love you. I'm in love with you."_

 _Severus was still staring at her in shock. Realising that action would be better than words, Lily kissed him gently. The kiss was short and delicate, just to show him that her words were true. The boy didn't react in any way, seemingly too surprised by what she had done. Lily smiled softly._

" _Lily?" stammered Severus after a while. "I can't believe... Am I dreaming?"_

" _No, you're not dreaming. It's true, I love you and I want to be with you."_

" _You want to be my- girlfriend?"_

" _Yes," she replied and saw pure happiness on Severus's face. "But I have one condition," she added after a moment of hesitation._

" _Anything," Severus said quickly._

" _I'd like you to stop spending so much time with Mulciber and Avery. I know they are your dormmates and you can't avoid them entirely but I'm afraid they are going to push you down a dark path. A path to become a Death Eater. And that's a path I won't follow."_

" _Don't worry, Lily, I don't want to be a Death Eater. I'll try to spend as little time with them as possible. I don't want to lose you."_

 _Lily hugged her new boyfriend, sadness and happiness mingling within her. She could feel that Severus was crying again, though if these were tears of despair or joy, she couldn't tell. She suspected both. They sat in the bathroom for a little while, then went down to the Great Hall, holding hands and not caring about astonished looks of fellow students._

* * *

A huge thank you to my wonderful beta!


End file.
